bottlecaplogs | June Catch-All

[Distantly, Lusamine hears a stone skidding over earth. That sound—and the other sound, a voice calling her name—make her flinch but not turn. Instead, she stares down at her front paws (Paws? That can't be right, can it?) and the tendrils of mist weaving around them.

(For a single, blistering second, she sees them as long, white tentacles, and feels countless needles plunging into her flesh, poison searing through her veins—)

Guilmon's voice and the light of his tail-flame spilling over her finally makes her turn her head, but the far away look in her eyes remains as she stares at him and Emporio, blinking unevenly. She seems not to recognize them, in that moment, eyes narrowed in confusion.

She doesn't seem to recognize Akira either, when he approaches her (the tall, pink shape that is him at first brings to mind her Bewear—powerful arms and soft fur—but that isn't right, either), and when he reaches for her, she suddenly springs backward on all fours, back arched, fur bristling, and fangs bared.]

Don't you touch me—!

[Her movement breaks the coils of fog, though it still clings to her fur as dew. As she half-stumbles away from Akira—suddenly clumsy, as if unused to the overlong shape of her own body—and sees the way they're all looking at her, some fragmented awareness returns to her.]

... Oh... Doctor? For—give me... I don't know what—came over me...

[She should know, after how many times the fog has been discussed and how many times she's experienced it herself... But the memory of it is gone, and that apparently isn't the only thing she's forgotten.]

Where... Where is this? What were we...

Oh-!

[It becomes more evident when Akira addresses it, working to calm Lusamine down. This is what it must look like, when the fog connects.

Doing his best to do his part, he chimes in-] It's okay, Lusamine. Just focus on us. You know who Guilmon and I are right? And the doctor, too. Just think about-

[Lusamine snaps, and Emporio flinches...but, she does at least regain herself. He sure hopes that doesn't happen to anyone else...

Still.] We're making our way through the middle section of the woods. We're looking for a mysterious creature- probably a Pokemon. It's okay. You wanted to help us!

[It's not only Lusamine hearing voices. For a fleeting moment, Guilmon hears a voice calling through the fog.]

Takato...?

[But then Lusamine lashes out, snapping him from his daze. His eyes widen, and his body tenses as he tries to figure out what to do.

But Akira steps in, and then Emporio's voice cuts through...]

Not Digimon... This isn't the Digital World. Takato isn't here...

[It's sad, but he needs to be strong. They all do.]

[Ahh.. there's the reaction all animals eventually seem to give him... Well, it's not too surprising, at least.

Leaving the Ground type to explain, Akira simply continues to assess their situation. So while contact's enough as he'd thought, it can also be broken! Then, how to navigate. Though he does glance to the trees for a moment, over doesn't seem like an option with anyone's current form. On the other hand, around will keep them from ever reaching their goal.

It does have to be through, after all. If he could just look ahead to see how deep the fog reaches, he could probably throw someone far enough to be free of any danger once they land. But without a way to know where to aim...

... No, Guilmon's voice brings with it a simpler idea.]

Is this Takato your friend?

[Though he doesn't need the answer, it's still asked with the same attentiveness he'd offer any of his own fostered children. Of course the open honesty of a younger mind would help to sort things out the quickest.]

So while their content's changed, they're hallucinations just the same.

It really is fascinating to see these effects adapting firsthand. If it's settled for trying to distract us rather than scare us away, maybe it's getting worn out? As long as we can stay focused on who we're traveling with, it might not be too difficult to carry on after all.

[Lusamine despises the way Akira and Emporio look at her—studying, cautious, as if she's a ticking time bomb. It makes her flesh crawl and keeps her hackles raised. Surely she can't be the one reacting strangely! They are the strange ones, aren't they? Strangers, taking her here, acting as if nothing's wrong...

Still, to her credit, she listens to Emporio's words, straining to understand them.]

Yes... Yes, of course I remember you... Sweet Emporio. But... the woods? Why would I...? [She's still confused and disoriented, as if out of time, but simple, direct sentences seem to slowly but surely calm her. There is a mysterious creature they're looking for, Emporio says, and she wanted to help them. Yes, she thinks; that does sound like something she'd do, doesn't it?] Oh... That's—that's right... I wanted...

[To protect them. After all, they are such small, young-sounding Pokémon—helpless without her.

It's harder for her to detangle Akira and Guilmon's words, but Guilmon's confusion at least takes some attention away from her own, and she manages to grasp the meaning of carry on.]

Yes... We must continue on. We cannot allow that creature to continue running amok.

[Yes—that sounds like something Madam President Lusamine would naturally say, doesn't it?]

It's okay. You've still got friends here now...right?

[He's not affected by the fog, but it's not exactly hard to miss the sadness in Emporio's tone as he gently tries to calm Guilmon down. He can't even meet the Charmeleon's eyes while saying it- there's quite a lot of weight there, no fog needed.

He needs to do his best though, at least to keep these two in check.] Mm. We just have to keep moving.

Here- I can, uh...take your hand, and maybe yours..? [He's not so sure about what that will do when Lusamine is typically quadrupedal, but he'll try dammit.] I'm, um. Glad you remember me too at least! I know I haven't talked to either of you that much, but I guess others were talking about me..?

I didn't think I left that much of an impression, but I'm also not really used to interacting with so many people...

[Ahhh, well.] I wonder if the fog and the Pokemon we have to find are actually that well connected... ...Rather, they're connected for sure, but do they really have the same goals?

Takato is Guilmon's Tamer...

[But again, Takato isn't here. The others speaking helps ground him more, even if he doesn't fully grasp everything they're saying.

He shakes his head a few times and scratches his cheek.]

Mmm... Guilmon can try to smell? But I don't know if the fog is the same as this big Pokémon. All of this is really weird...

[Sniff, sniff... Guilmon bristles.]

But there's something in here! Something big and smelly...

[Spurred by Lusamine's agreement, the Slowking steps forward, oddly eager with anticipation for what kind of trick he might be shown this time around. Only.. whatever it may be, it isn't making itself apparent.

Looking back, then, he tilts his head at Emporio's question.]

Connected?

[It's not a bad theory at all. But,]

I'm not so sure about that. They both make the forest quite a fearsome place to be. Maybe they'd both prefer to keep adventurers like ourselves away from something, too. Even so, this could just be a Pokemon that thrives under these conditions. Blinded and disoriented travelers make for veery easy prey.

[So is its violent behaviour a result of being infected longer than most can survive? Or has some unknown factor allowed it to develop a resistance? There's just so much that he could ask, none of it easy to answer without facing that bear once more.

But as Guilmon announces of the discovery of a new scent, maybe that opportunity is getting closer!]

That might be it! Let's go see!

[Without any thought as to whether it's safe or if he'd only heard what he wanted, Akira continues on right away, with only the red glow of Shellder's now opened eyes to keep the group from becoming separated.]

[Tamer? Lusamine squints, trying to make sense of it all through the fog in her brain... to no avail. Her memory and thoughts are scattered, and she can hardly think. The more she tries, the more estranged from her body she feels. Vexed, she huffs. She can pretend well enough that her mind is perfectly clear and sound, but it's still taxing, humiliating.

At the very least, Emporio redirects her attention by offering to hold her hand. That's humiliating, too (Why should she need to be led around by the hand by a child?), but if she recontextualizes it to herself as Emporio asking obliquely for comfort and trying to seem capable in front of the adults, she can allow it.]

Oh... How kind. If it isn't too much to ask...

[After politely brushing the dirt from her claws, she places one paw delicately in Emporio's own.

Truthfully, she needs that contact. Fortunately for both of them, she can walk on her hind legs when she wants to, but the feeling of disembodiment still lingers with her (her limbs are too short, the shapes of her claws strange and unwieldy), threatening to make her stumble if she doesn't find some way ground herself.

In reply to his words, she is quick to reassure,] Nonsense. You left quite an impression, in fact.

[She says it easily, without much thought—and the memory of why returns to her moments later, delayed but clear. She had been told about him, prior to meeting him at the Questboard, by a certain Espathra...

But that's a conversation for another time; Guilmon alerts them to something big and smelly, and Lusamine smells it, too, heavy on the air.

As Akira strides forward, she chides him automatically,] Careful now, doctor... What was that you just said about "easy prey"? [Then, as a hushed aside to Emporio and Guilmon:] A spirited one, isn't he?

[She's apparently returned to her senses enough to muster a bit of humor, at least.

As they continue onward, it will gradually become clear to them that it isn't just dark because of the fog; though they departed at dawn, it seems to suddenly, inexplicably be nighttime. Moonlight shimmers above, visible even through the mist and trees.]

Right, exactly. One intends to disorient or claim their victims, but the other just takes advantage. More like a parasite, than a partner.

[Emporio jumps at Guilmon's statement though, and quickly turns to the others for some guidance.] R-right- Or at least, it's probably another Pokemon of some kind...

[He seems...a little worried that Guilmon didn't take his offered hand, but oh well. Lusamine at least is, and he smiles quite warmly at her in turn.

Best keep recontexualizing, Lusamine.

And then again, maybe he does need a bit of comfort himself. He certainly holds on tight enough that it feels that way.]

Haha- Thanks? [He doesn't sound sure- of himself, more than anything- but to be fair, he has no idea what impression he left.

...and...speaking of impressions.] ...There he goes... [he says quietly, shaking his head.] ...it's like being back with Hermana...

[They carry on though. They walk onward, eyes wide to what's around them until abruptly what's around is darkness. The night. Moonlight-]

H...Huh?

[The shift in their surroundings makes Guilmon bristle. His normally bright, innocent eyes narrow. His pupils slit. His lips curl back to reveal his sharp teeth.]

It's coming.

[Growling, Guilmon scans for the scent. That crimson moon, glistening in the dark...

He charges.]

Fireball!

[Flames spew from his maw, targeted at the beast. Logic and reason have left the building, ladies and gents.]

June Catch-All

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